Railway-crossing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

E. R. E. OOWELL. RAILWAY CROSSING.

N0. 386,056. jL

Patented Jul (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

E. R. E. OOWELL. RAILWAY CROSSING.

No. 888,058 Patented July 10, 1888.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD R. E. CO\VELL, OF YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,056, dated July 10,1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, EDWARD R. E. CoWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ypsilanti, in the county of WVashtenaw and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Crossings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in railway-crossings,having for its object mechanism whereby the crossing tracks will have noopen joints at the four corners, but will be made endless when alocomotive or train is passing at such point on a desired track.

The device consists of oscillating heads located at the four points ofthe crossing, and which are provided on opposite sides and at differentangles with sections of T-rails,which, when brought into position,register with the main rails, whereby the track at the crossingpointbecomes endless or continuous, as will be more fully set forth.

The object of forming a continuous track at such points is to avoid thecutting away of the rails to form a passage for the flanges of thewheels, as such cut-out portions cause a pounding of the wheels, whichis injurious to the rolling-stock, the crossings soon wear out andrequire frequent repairs, and for said reasons is found objectionable.The said objections are effectually overcome in my device, as the openjoints are avoided and a uniform track provided, as will be hereinafterfully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification,Figure 1 is a top plan of a railway-crossing containing my improveddevice, the parts being broken away at one corner to show undergroundconstruction. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the dotted line as x of Fig.1, the operating-lever and oscillating head being in a changed position.Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective of one of the oscillating heads,showing the rail-sections mounted thereon. Fig. 41's a side elevation,taken on dotted line y y of Fig. 1, the oscillating heads being in theposition of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an isometrical elevation, showing one ofthe operating-shafts with the oscillating heads mounted thereon, showingalso the crank at end of shaft.

The letters of reference in the accompanying drawings indicate thefollowing elements v1z:

S, the tics of the roadway; R, the main rails or track, the ends ofwhich terminate some distance from each other at their intersectingpoints. Below said points, or the four corners of the railway-crossing,I provide a pit, D, which is to be bricked or stoned up, as shown at S,(see Figs. 2 and 4,) the top of the walls terminating at a point belowthe upper face of the ties S. On said walls are located timbers orplates n, which form journal-bearings for the shafts A, which shafts arelocated below the crossing rails of one of the tracks, as shown in Fig.1.

The oscillating heads H are made fast to said shafts and are located inthe upper face of the pits D and move in said pits as the shafts A arerotatedby means of the lever L, which lever is pivoted on the bolt 0 ofthe upright frame E, the base E of which is attached to the ties of theroadway. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The lower end of the lever is pivoted at tto one end of the coupling bar B, the forked end of which is pivoted tothe pitman I. \Vorking in the chamber W, below the roadway, the pitmanis pivoted at d d to the cranks c c of the shafts A A. (See Figs. 1 and2, being partly shown by dotted lines.)

The lever L is provided with a lock, K, whereby the parts when shiftedmay be securely held in position and prevented from being operated,excepting by those having a switch-key.

F represents a metal frame, which is firmly secured to the plates n bymeans of bolts a. Said plates at a fit over the shafts A, formingbearings, as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 1, the tracks cross atright angles. For

such a crossing I attach firmly to each of the oscillating heads H shortsections of rails O and Z, Which are mounted on opposite faces of saidoscillating heads at right angles, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5.The length of the rails C and Z is such that when brought into positionto register or communicate with the main rails they will completely fillthe gap or opening,thereby formingacontinuoustrack, as shown in the twopositions. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The parts being in the position of Fig.2, by moving the lever L in the direction of the arrow the rail section0 will rock down into the pits D and the section Z will rise sidewiseinto position, so as to couple with the main rails R, thus forming acontinuous track at right angles to the former position,as shown inFig.1. Then by throwing the lever L from the position of Fig. 1 to theposition of Fig. 2 the rail-section Z will drop with a side motion intothe pits D and the rail'sections C will simultaneously by an end motionjoin the rails of the other track at right angles to the rails joined bythe sections Z, as shown in Fig. 2. As the rail-sections C have anendwise movement as the heads H are oscillated, the facing ends of themain rail It, meeting the rail-sections 0, are concaved and the ends ofthe railsections are con vexed, so as to allow the said parts, whenjoined, to form a close joint, as shown in Fig. 2, thus makingcontinuous rails.

It will be observed on looking at Fig. 3 that the rail-sections 0 Z arelocated on the head H at right angles and nearly on the right-anglefaces of the oscillating head. By this arrangement the railsections G Zare brought into position by a qnarterrotation of the head. When thetracks do not cross at right angles, the railsections 0 Z are to belocated on the head in U such position that when the head is oscillatedthe said rail-sections will be brought into position so as to registerwith and form continuous tracks with the main rails of the crossing.Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I'claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In combination with therails of a railway-crossing, the oscillating heads, each head havingrail sections mounted on opposite planes thereof and at an angle to eachother, said oscillating heads being located inthe four corners of thecrossing on rock-shafts, each shaft having a crank at one end, acoupling bar attached to said crank, said coupling-bar being attached toa suit-able lever, whereby said oscillating heads may be simultaneouslyrotated, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the rails of a railway-crossing, the pits formedin the four corners of said crossing, the oscillating heads located insaid pits on the rock-shafts, said os cillating heads havingrail-sections located thereon at right angles to each other, saidroclzshafts coupled together and having a lever for movingsimultaneously said oscillating heads, whereby the railsections mountedthereon are brought into position so as to register with the main railsof the crossing, substantially as set forth.

3. In a railway-crossing, the combination of the main rails, the pitslocated in the four corners of the crossing below the separated ends ofthe main rails, the oscillating heads mounted on the shafts A, saidshafts journaled in the top plates, F n, of said pits, the rail-sections0 Z, mounted on said oscillating heads, the cranks 0, formed on the endsof the shafts A. the pitman pivoted to said shaft, the bar B, pivoted tothe pitman, the'levcr pivoted to said bar and to the upright frame E,and means for locking said lever to the upright frame, as and for thepurposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD R. E. COWVELL.

W itncsses:

R. B. WHEELER, B.'F. WHEELER.

